Consumers around the world are attempting to take charge of their health. We take an in-depth look at purchasing trends and future intentions to identify opportunities that will help manufacturers better align offerings to consumer needs.

Global consumer confidence ended 2014 with an index score of 96 - a decline of two index points from the previous quarter. The index, which has been on a slow and steady rise for about two years, is still above a pre-recession level of 94 from third-quarter 2007.